The NFL’s new kickoff rules were the star of Thursday night’s Hall of Fame game– especially since the Bears and Texans kept their starters on the sidelines. But a few of the Bears’ second and third stringers put on a good show, and made a good case for a closer look at practice when the team returns to Halas Hall.
BRETT RYPIEN - QUARTERBACK
The Bears gave Tyson Bagent one drive to start Thursday’s game, then it was the Rypien show for the rest of the first half and a bit of the third quarter. In all, Rypien led four drives and looked like the best player on the field throughout. He was decisive, accurate and showed good feel for whatever pressure came his way en route to completing 11-15 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Rypien also showed off his wheels on one nine-yard rush. There’s no backup QB controversy in Chicago right now, but Rypien certainly availed himself of the opportunity.
COLLIN JOHNSON - WIDE RECEIVER
With DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze all sitting, the field was open for a wide receiver further down the depth chart to make an impact. Johnson was that man. The Texans’ had a few coverage breakdowns which led to easy completions, but Johnson also made one impressive full-extension grab for 27 yards to fuel a successful two-minute drill. Johnson also contributed a solid special teams tackle on the teams first opportunity to cover the new kickoff play.
ELIJAH HICKS - SAFETY
Chicago Bears
Over his first two seasons, Hicks played more than one would expect from a seventh-round draft pick. He took the field on defense in 19 of 34 games with eight starts, but at times he struggled with busted coverages or bad angles. On Thursday, he was the bright spot of the team’s “starting” defense. Hicks played in just the early stages of the game, but still finished with four tackles.
KHALIL HERBERT - RUNNING BACK
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Herbert appeared destined to be the odd man out in the future of the Bears running back room after the team drafted Roschon Johnson in 2023 and signed D’Andre Swift to a lucrative free agent deal in 2024. He was extremely effective in the team’s first preseason game, however. Herbert showed great burst and elusiveness when running in the team’s inside zone schemes and racked up 35 yards on just four carries. That’s good for an impressive 8.8 YPC.
ROSCHON JOHNSON - RUNNING BACK
Johnson didn’t put up eye-popping numbers in his limited reps, like Herbert did (4.0 YPC vs. 8.8 YPC), but he popped with his playing style. If Herbert is a shifty back who can make defenders miss with horizontal cuts, then Johnson is the bruiser who opts to run downhill through opponents. He’s always looked better with pads on, and that was no different on Thursday night. Johnson also showed off his pass catching skills with one grab for seven yards.
